South Dakota Voters Reject Abortion Ban

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A ballot measure that would ban nearly all abortions in South Dakota was rejected on Tuesday.

With 51 percent of the precincts reporting, opponents of the ban had 56 percent, or 87,402 votes, to the supporters' 44 percent, or 69,233 votes.

Jan Nicolay, leader of the group seeking to reject the measure, said the returns indicate that voters understood that the proposed law was too extreme because it did not include exceptions for rape, incest or the health of a pregnant woman.